Visioneer 9650 USB FLATBED SCANNER 600X1200DPI 42 BIT COLOR (Visioneer Inc.-96501DWU)

WHAT'S HOT: The Visioneer 9650 USB is designed to function primarily as a document-processing device. It is bundled with a sturdy, 25-page automatic document feeder that can scan as fast as 12 pages per minute when set for black-and-white documents at 200 dpi, a typical resolution for processing forms. The 9650 also supports 42-bit color scanning: When we tested it, we saw admirable color reproduction and crisp details on both print and on-screen color images.

WHAT'S NOT: The 9650 floundered in performance tests. It had the second lowest throughput rate we've seen to date among corporate models: a measly 419 kilobytes per second when scanning a 5-by-7-inch color print at its maximum optical resolution. In contrast, the Epson Perfection 2450, which was also tested using its USB 1.1 interface, had a throughput rate of 601 KBps. The 9650's maximum optical resolution of 600 dpi is anemic compared with the higher 1200-, 1600-, and 2400-dpi resolutions offered by other corporate scanners. (Higher resolution usually translates to better image quality.) If you want a scanner that can handle film (positives or negatives), you'll need to choose another model since no transparency adapter is offered for this unit.

WHAT ELSE: Consistent with its text-focused design, the 9650 comes with text-processing software but no image-editing application. Its software bundle consists of ScanSoft TextBridge Pro 9.0 for OCR and ScanSoft PaperPort Deluxe 7.0 for document management. All other corporate scanners we've looked at come with an image editor. The automatic document feeder requires some assembly, but the printed documentation does a fine job of explaining how to fit the paper guide, paper stop, and other parts together.